Eight Players Honored by Pittsburgh Penguins As Highmark High School Players of the Month

Eight Players Honored by Pittsburgh Penguins As Highmark High School Players of the Month

The Pittsburgh Penguins are pleased to honor State College’s Stefan Horgas, Bethel Park’s Christian Siak and Greater Latrobe’s Shane Brudnok as Highmark High School Players of the Month for January, and Quaker Valley’s Ryan Dickson and Ryan Lottes, North Allegheny’s Bradford Thornburg and Charlie Johnson and Greater Latrobe’s Robert Vasinko as High School Players of the Month for February.

The Penguins and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield honor high school players of the month four times each season.

Horgas, a senior forward, was nearly unstoppable in January, racking up an astonishing 22 points (12G-10A) in seven games for State College. He netted four goals twice, helping the Lions cruise by Cannon MacMillan 7-3 and Hempfield 11-3.

Siak, Bethel Park’s junior forward, lit up his competition in eight January games, scoring 21 goals (three game winners), which was three more tallies than Bethel surrendered over that span. His January goal total was more than all but four PIHL players have netted through the entire season.

Brudnok, Greater Latrobe’s senior goalie, put up a 1.6 goals against average and .925 save percentage in five January games. He shut down opposing offenses through five January games, allowing two goals or less four times, including a shutout against North Hills on Jan. 28. The 18-year-old netminder also impresses off the ice, taking time to instruct Latrobe’s freshmen and junior varsity players during their practices.

Dickson, a senior forward, racked up 15 points (8G-7A) in six February games. He scored multiple goals in three February contests, while netting at least one in five of six. Finishing his career with 87 goals, Dickson led the team with seven in the playoffs, helping to build the foundation for the Quakers’ 2013 Class A Penguins Cup Championship.

Lottes, a junior defensemen, finished February with 8 points (2G-6A) in six Feburary games for Quaker Valley. Lottes wreaked havoc while in his own end, playing against the opposing team’s top lines and captaining Quaker Valley’s penalty kill. The Quakers shutout three opponents in February and allowed two goals or less in all but one contest.

Thornburg, a junior goalie, produced a 3.5 goals against average and .864 save percentage in four February appearances for North Allegheny. He finished the month with a 1-2-1 ecord, gearing the Tigers towards their eventual 2013 Class AAA Penguins Cup Championship.

Johnson, a senior forward, led North Allegheny in scoring with 10 points (6G-4A) in five February games. He recorded at least one point in each game and paced the Tigers with a hat trick in an eye-opening 12-0 win over McDowell.

Vasinko, a senior defenseman, scored two points (1G-1A) in five February games, but led Greater Latrobe with a plus-11 rating. Vasinko, one of Latrobe’s assistant captains, guides the Wildcats’ younger defensemen and consistently performs well academically.